Why are SO many Illinois folk attracted to Arizona? (Chicago: highrise, relocation)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Havasu

Very simple, AZ encourages growth, where as Illinios does not by taxing any new business that wants to establish themselves there. The roads are in very bad shape even though you have to pay to drive on them.(Where does that money go?) If there is an old building in AZ they let or encourage you tear it down and build a newer modern looking one unlike Illinios where the old buildings stay up for decades.I guess there is no need to build new ones since the growth is so little if any at all. AZ is one of the fastest growing places in the Nation.The word on the street across the USA is if you want free healthcare move to Illinios they will take care of you and house you too all for FREE. So you will get growth now, but its the wrong kind of growth. I guess you win that one for your state being open minded.You can be the first to offer free healthcare i do not want to have anything to do with that. Why do you think it is that Pep Boys is closing up shop in Rockford and so is CompUSA and in Machesney Park the Taco John is less then a year old has decided to close and leave the area? Its because the state makes it very hard to do business there and i know due to experience i tried a few years back.Im not sure about the Southern part but i am sure of the Northern part. Someday i might return to the midwest but it will be Wisconsin or Iowa. Not Illinios. If Obama gets in, good luck, he will have alot of explaining to do about how Illinios is run. That will hurt him.

Well, at least you established the fact that you know NOTHING about IL. Not only are your statements false, but youre not even spelling the name of the state correctly (its IllinOIs). Can I please ask how old you are?

We have the most corporate relocations in the country, Chicago was voted (once again) the "City of the Future", we have several suburbs (and counties) that are amongst the fastest growing in the nation, etc, etc. If you dont believe me, I can post some links to the info. Maybe that will hush you up.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Well, at least you established the fact that you know NOTHING about IL. Not only are your statements false, but youre not even spelling the name of the state correctly (its IllinOIs). Can I please ask how old you are?

We have the most corporate relocations in the country, Chicago was voted (once again) the "City of the Future", we have several suburbs (and counties) that are amongst the fastest growing in the nation, etc, etc. If you dont believe me, I can post some links to the info. Maybe that will hush you up.

Don't worry Havasu. The areas the city that he is talking about is Joliet, Illinois. Joliet is the armpit of Chicagoland, with bad schools, crime lords, and ghetto. The only reason people are moving there is because there is nowhere else in Chicagoland for people to live, and have at least a two hour commute into the city. Now they have to pile in on top of each other in places like Joliet just to get by. When the term 'relocation' is used, he must mean that they are relocating out of Chicago. I just graduated last year from the area, and all of my teachers strongly suggested not staying in the area if you are looking for jobs. This is coming from an institution with strong ties to Chicago. I hate to tell people, but it isn't the 80s anymore, and Chicago is not what experts would call 'booming'. Even Houston has more Fortune 500 companies than Chicago!

[jojojohnson76]

Yeah I hate living in Illinios. Wow.

desert student, you said that Illinois has bad weather. You are from Chicago, which is NOT the state of Illinois. Anyone who doesn't live in or near Chicago takes great offense to being bundled in with the city most of us don't even go to. I've been in Illinois my entire life and have been to Orlando, Boston, and St Louis more than I have been to Chicago.
Southern Illinois, where I am from (unfortunately), doesn't get bitterly cold, windy winter days like Chicago, and doesn't get even half of the snow or ice (which is unfortunate to me, but you obviously don't care for snow).

Also, I agree with your ideas on health care.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by Havasu

If there is an old building in AZ they let or encourage you tear it down and build a newer modern looking one unlike Illinios where the old buildings stay up for decades.I guess there is no need to build new ones since the growth is so little if any at all.

Huh? What? Are you sure you are talking about Illinois???

The word on the street across the USA is if you want free healthcare move to Illinios they will take care of you and house you too all for FREE.

Please oh please tell me where in Illinois I can get free health care and and be housed cheaply in a safe livable area?

Healthcare is free in Illinois for children only and Section 8 (almost free housing for lower income folks) is nationwide as far as I know and those who accept it are not renting in the best locations.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by bigjersey

I think midwesterners often leave Chicago with some baggage. It's as if they have bad memories of growing up in some anonymous Chicago suburb, waiting for the bus on cold dark mornings in December. The problem is that alot of them missed out on the great parts of living in Chicago because they were too busy dealing with life as a kid in an anonymous suburb.

I think that about sums it up. I can attest to that feeling of wanting to flee Chicago and part of it was growing up in the burbs. Not much for a teen to do unless you drove into the city to have fun and to get away from the snobs.

I just took a walk around the neighborhood. Right now it's about to snow, the Christmas lights are all up around Michigan Avenue and downtown, everyone's out for the night dressed up in cashmere sweaters, wool scarves, and furry hats. I see people dressed in handsome black and khaki overcoat with leather gloves. A drunk man was eating icecream and laughing to himself. A pack of fifteen girls was laughing and stumbling around, everyone dressed for Friday night in full makeup. The plantars are filled with pine branches and red ornaments. I girl and golden retriever were going on a walk. The doormen are standing around with large black hats hailing cabs. I mean this type of atmosphere can be found in very few American cities, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The changing seasons and extreme weather only add to the scale of excitement in Chicago.

That's a beautiful description of a Friday or Saturday night on Mag Mile.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by jojojohnson76

Yeah I hate living in Illinios. Wow.

desert student, you said that Illinois has bad weather. You are from Chicago, which is NOT the state of Illinois. Anyone who doesn't live in or near Chicago takes great offense to being bundled in with the city most of us don't even go to. I've been in Illinois my entire life and have been to Orlando, Boston, and St Louis more than I have been to Chicago.
Southern Illinois, where I am from (unfortunately), doesn't get bitterly cold, windy winter days like Chicago, and doesn't get even half of the snow or ice (which is unfortunate to me, but you obviously don't care for snow).

Also, I agree with your ideas on health care.

Sorry for the offense. When you live in Chicago your whole life it gets hard not using the names Chicago and Illinois to describe the same area. Trust me though. I am not one of those Chicago people that doesn't know what region of the state Rockford is in. I have also been to Peoria, Springfield, and either Bloomington or Champaign a few times and enjoyed myself. When I was little my family and I even saw a fireworks display while in our boat on Peoria Lake. The Illinois transplants that I have met in Arizona are typically from the Chicago area. I only know one from 'downstate' at ASU, and he is from Dekalb, which is pretty much Chicagoland now.

[bluepencil]

I bet it's because the Cubs are in the Cactus League for spring training.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by collected_eve

What I've realized after being in this position for almost 2 years now, is that ALOT of people from Illinois come to Arizona. Why are so many Illinoisans attracted to AZ?!

That's a good question. Too many long winters? The grass is always greener effect?

In my case, for years it seems every other person I met in the Chicago area was telling me how wonderful Arizona is and how they all wished they could move there (but couldn't because of job issues, family, etc.). I became intrigued and flew out there and stayed in the Phoenix area for several weeks at a time, over many years. I loved the Winters, I made a lot of kind and helpful friends. I learned and ended up knowing my way around the city and it's burbs just like I did in Chicago. I was so sure the Phoenix area was where I wanted to be. I almost bought a home there, had the signed contract with deposit in hand, but held off because...

On my last trip, I started to see some really negative things that stopped me cold in my decision and I never went back to Phoenix.

Oh, yes, I'm one also who is guilty of leaving MO/IL for Arizona
BUT TRUST THIS, I am coming back!!

So why are you coming back? I'd love to know that it's more than the six months of blazing heat.

[Steve-o]

Lets end this now. All you Phoenix worshippers can go to bed tonight safe and sound in the fact that Chicago is a global city, a world class contender, etc, something that Phoenix is not.


http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/200...SA/chicago.htm

http://geography.about.com/od/obtain...counties04.htm

http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/27/real...ties/index.htm


http://www.usmayors.org/metroeconomi...eyfindings.pdf

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS...lobal.economy/

http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2007/mar/topMetros/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdbln/is_200607/ai_n19414683 (broken link)

http://career-resources.dice.com/it-.../chicago.shtml

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ITChick

On my last trip, I started to see some really negative things that stopped me cold in my decision and I never went back to Phoenix

What, like the worst summer weather possible? Or was it the endless tract homes that all look like Taco Bell ripoffs? Maybe it was the lack of a downtown core to hang out in? Horrible sports venues? Maybe it was the fact that Arizona has the worst rated schools in the nation? The snakes? Scorpions? Black widows? Giant centipedes? Mountain lions? Valley Fever? Was it the brown cloud? Horrible public transporation (or lack thereof)? Or was it the....